


Valediction

by fannishliss



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: First Doctor Era, Gen, Prydonian Academy, TARDIS corals, Time Lords and Ladies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 19:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/802342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannishliss/pseuds/fannishliss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  A young potential Time Lord being taken to the Schism has an unexpected encounter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valediction

**title: Valediction**  
Author: [](http://fannishliss.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://fannishliss.livejournal.com/)**fannishliss**  
rating: G  
pairing: none  
words: 375  
spoilers: no

summary:  A young potential Time Lord being taken to the Schism has an unexpected encounter.

notes:   I couldn't find a lot of canon about the location of the Schism so I hope readers will like my interpretation.  This ficlet is for [who_contest drabble challenge #20: water.  ](http://who-contest.livejournal.com/tag/drabble%20challenge%20%2320)

\---

 

His home was halfway round the world, south, in the mountains. Here, the ancient sea beat feebly against the towering cliffs of its western shore.  The Citadel was even farther away, antipodal to this breach of reason.

Four Prydon twelfth-years gripped the oars, rowing silently across the calm, dark sea toward the cavern of the Schism. They rowed in contemplation, counting their strokes in silent unison.  He could sense them, even though he wasn’t meant to --the dull slap of waves mingled with the muffled beats of numbers and calculations reverberating from their imperfectly shielded minds.

In their black hooded robes, they were one with the darkness, only the crimson and orange linings of their hoods and sleeves dimly reflecting the coppery moonlight. His own novitiate’s robe lacked even that hint of color, and he sat, as if invisible, rocking slightly as he was borne toward his fate.

He closed his eyes, reaching out, trying to catch any echoes from the Masters who awaited him, hoping for a glimpse of the fearful Cavern, any shadowy hint of the terrible rift. He only wanted to see by proxy what he’d soon be seeing for himself; surely that wasn’t so wrong.

"Yes - try" --

He sat frozen, thrills of jubilation held tightly in check. Those were not the chiming, ordered thoughts of Time Lords, but the eerie howling rills of the ancient corals.

He'd never dreamed to hope he would sense them so clearly.

Even as his body sat swaying in the little boat, carried along inexorably toward his destination, his mind eagerly joined the dance of the ancient beings who waved their immanent fronds just under the surface, here and there, when and where, in their nebulous quasi-dimensionality.

"Reach - know" –

He had so many questions! "What will I see? What will happen? Will I go mad?"

"Mad, yes" -- they sang in approval.

"Sister - soon" –

"Partner - go" --

"Clever"

"Thief"

"Go"

It was over all too quickly.  The boat scraped against the shore and the Prydons grabbed his arms, dragging him toward their waiting Masters and the dreadful Schism they guarded, the corals' valediction still ringing in his head, unraveling into miraculous sense:

"Go with our sister, see the universe…"


End file.
